THE ISRAELI military has said it will investigate an incident in which a wounded Palestinian man was strapped on to the bonnet of a jeep in the West Bank.
Footage shared online showed the man strapped to the vehicle as it passes by three ambulances from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
An independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council described the incident as ‘human shielding’.
The Israeli Defences Forces (IDF) said the incident unfolded during an operation to apprehend suspects in the Wadi Burqin area of Jenin in the West Bank.
It said the man was injured when it returned fire after being shot at during the operation.
“During the exchange of fire, one of the suspects was injured and apprehended,” read an IDF statement.
“In violation of orders and standard operating procedures, the suspect was taken by the forces while tied on top of a vehicle.
“The conduct of the forces in the video of the incident does not conform to the values of the IDF. The incident will be investigated and dealt with accordingly.”
The PRCS — part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement — said the man was later released into its care but claimed it was initially not allowed to treat him.
“The Israeli occupation forces prevented Palestine Red Crescent crews from providing first aid to an injured person in the Jabarat area of Jenin,” it posted on Twitter.
“They then placed the injured person on the front of a military jeep and detained him before later allowing our crews to transfer him to the hospital.”
Meanwhile, Francesca Albanese, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said the incident could further destabilise the situation in the Middle East.
Sharing the footage on Twitter, she posted: “#HumanShielding in action. It is flabbergasting how a state born 76 years ago has managed to turn international law literally on its head.
“This risks being the end of multilateralism, which for some influential member states no longer serves any relevant purpose.”